Did you know that nationally, an estimated 66 percent of euthanasia cases are financially driven? In Florida, animal shelters admit over 350,000 cats and dogs each year, with 14 percent of these pets not achieving a live outcome. While not all are instances of economic euthanasia, the inability to afford veterinary care is a major contributing factor both for families and for the shelters themselves.
Fortunately, we can help with the treatment of emergency and specialty medical conditions where the pet would otherwise suffer, be euthanized, or relinquished without proper veterinary care. How? Our Crucial Care Fund, an initiative created to provide lifesaving financial aid to Florida pet owners experiencing hardship.
Created in partnership with Frankie’s Friends, the Crucial Care Fund lends a helping hand to Florida pet owners who cannot afford the cost of lifesaving and life-enhancing veterinary care. By donating to this fund, you can make a tangible impact on pets and their families. Not only will 100 percent of Crucial Care Fund contributions go directly to emergency and specialty veterinary bills, the FVMA Foundation will match the first $75,000 donated through the Crucial Care Fund campaign.
Make a donation today and help us bridge the gap between what’s medically possible and financially feasible for pets in need of essential care.
Leveraging this resource
Our Tampa-based partner, Frankie’s Friends, is managing the processing of applications. Below is a sampling of the criteria, but extended information will be available on the Crucial Care Fund application page on Frankie’s Friends website.
Timeline/Deadline
Grants are processed on a rolling basis and will continue until funds are exhausted. Generally, applicants are alerted within 24 hours of the status of their application.
Eligibility
Funding must go to support crucial care, which is to say critical/urgent/emergency care that is life-threatening and requires an immediate medical response. Pets must have a good prognosis, as defined by their treating veterinarian, and have already been seen and assessed by a veterinarian with a thorough exam prior to applying.
Additionally:
We do not cover:
Meet Binx, the 1 y.o. kitten and first pet to receive lifesaving assistance from the Crucial Care Fund with Frankie’s Friends and the FVMA Foundation!
Binx received lifesaving emergency surgery at EPIC Veterinary Hospital for a foreign body obstruction after his owner noticed he’d been vomiting for several days.
Binx belongs to a 21 year old young adult who recently moved out of an awful situation. She had just taken in 2 pets from her parents that weren’t being properly cared for and needed thousands of dollars in veterinary care, right before she totaled her car and had to spend her last $2,000 to get it fixed. She has a heart for animals and really needed our help!
Binx’s mom said, “With every single fiber of my being, thank you. You made the difference between me having to give up my pet, and being able to keep him, and I will forever be grateful. My life has not been easy, and this money, this break saved my life. I will definitely be donating to this wonderful fund after Binx and I recover from this.”
“I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for your assistance with Zumi’s surgery. Your generosity means the world to me and my family. Because of your help, Zumi is on the road to recovery and can continue to bring so much joy into our lives. We are so thankful for the work you do.”
“Thank you. With your help, me and Savannah can continue our hikes, tug of war, snuggles and so much more. Sav is my world so to know someone can help me keep her healthy means the world.”
“Thank you so much to Frankie’s Friends and everyone who donated for helping us get Cleo the care she needed. Cleo is my son’s best friend and she helps him with his separation anxiety. We are so grateful that she will get to stay with our family and will be much more comfortable now after her surgery.”
“Me, Cali, and her sisters thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Cali was rescued from a hoarder situation when we lost our dog to a brain tumor. Cali is a lizard hunter and the best fur baby any one could ask for. She has undergone 2 previous surgeries which have been scary but she is a trooper and we have found a vet 45 mins away from our home that has finally found the cause and can help her live pain free!!! Cali says thank you so so much for helping her and her big sister, Treble, says thank you for helping my sissy!! We are inseparable and we love you and thank you sooo much!!!!”
“I cannot begin to express the depth of my gratitude for the assistance from Frankie’s Friends and all its donors who makes this possible. Layka is not only my dog, she is my service companion, my daughter, my heart, and my strength. Knowing that there are people who care enough to help us in this critical moment means the world to me and my family. Your support gives Layka a chance at life and gives me hope when I felt so lost. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for helping us through this hardship and for giving us the gift of more time together.”
“I want to thank you for this miracle. I don’t know what my family would have done without the assistance. We are extremely grateful and had been praying for the help our girl Mia so desperately needed. We have had her since she was 6 months old and my daughter was 6 months old. They have grown up together and are both now 10 years old and we would love to keep her for the rest of her life. Getting this assistance means not having to surrender her for treatment. We cant thank you enough.”
“Receiving assistance for Noah means the world to me and my children. We will be forever thankful and indebted to all who help. Words can’t explain how truly thankful I am. Watching my baby Noah, suffer in pain has been the hardest things I’ve had to do and to know that someone somewhere is so kind hearted and understanding to help me is nothing short of a miracle and a blessing. You truly are angels.”
“Ozzy found us when he was about 6 months old covered in ticks and fleas and almost lethargic. Ozzy is so much more than a pet; he is family. We chose to help him and in return Ozzy has been a comforter, protector and has loved us unconditionally every day since. His injury was very unexpected and heartbreaking to our family. The surgery he needs is outside of what we can cover right now but this surgery is essential for him to be able to walk and play again with out being in pain. We are doing everything we can right now to make It possible but we need help. You helping will make it possible for Ozzy to get the help needed for him to recover and return to the happy active life he deserves. Helping Ozzy is helping our family keep our loving loyal boy healthy and whole again.”
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my sweet Shiloh. She is my world, full of spirit, life, and unconditional love. Knowing she was cared for with such kindness means more to me than words can express. I truly wouldn’t have been able to get through this without your support. Your generosity and compassion have been a blessing, and I thank God for each of you. May He continue to bless you all, just as you have blessed others. I will never forget what you’ve done for us.”
“I would like to take just a moment and thank all of you, all of you who have taking ANY amount of time out of your day to help with our family member, our companion, our fur baby, our Baby Jade! When she first came to our home I was handed her and “Good luck she probably won’t make it through the night! “ From that moment on we were determined to fight for her life. I stayed up countless nights feeding and caring for this sweet innocent sick little baby and day by day she got bigger and stronger. She survived!! One full year passed and she had to have throat surgery. Pneumonia in her lungs and nostril surgery all at once which she barely survived but once again, she survived!! After all of this and thinking we were in the clear and on the rode to a smooth sailing life, a horrible accident happened. Baby Jade has been through so much and deserves to not be in pain. We have fought so hard to keep this baby with us that she has become such an important part of our family . We would never know what to do without her. So I just want to say thank you to everyone that makes this possible and for helping so many babies. Thank you for helping us and Baby Jade!”
“Words can not express the gratitude we have in our hearts for the aid we received for our Daisy Mae. Daisy Mae brings so much joy to our family. She has a calming effect on a all those she meets, even converting a non-pet person! We hope to be able to help another family and their pet!”
“Thank you to all that have helped! For a little while there we didn’t know what to do. Without your generosity Knotski would not have been able to have a full recovery and a full shot at life.”
“I am eternally grateful to the donors of the FVMA Foundation and Frankie’s Friends. You are the reason our beloved fur babies have been given a second chance. Osiris’s quality of life has vastly improved thanks to your generosity. Your contribution shows how much you value the pets in your life, so we are truly blessed to have you on our side.”
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving Luke a second chance at life. 💖 Because of your support, we were able to keep him in our family and avoid the heartbreaking decision to rehome him due to medical costs.
We are fur-ever grateful 🐶✨ for your kindness and generosity. Thanks to you, Luke has many more tail-wagging, treat-chasing, cuddle-filled years ahead—and we get to share every moment with him.”
“I really appreciate this assistance. Thanks for everything you and Frankie’s Friends has done and do for pet families; I know what it has taken for you to build it to this point.”
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping save our boy. When our cat was hit by a car, we were terrified — we didn’t know if he’d make it, or if we’d be able to afford the care he needed. Because of your generosity and the kindness of Frankie’s Friends, he not only survived but kept his leg.
Every day, we’re reminded of what your help made possible — watching him heal, stretch, and take his first careful steps again. We’ll never forget that strangers chose to give him a second chance at life.
Thank you for your compassion, your support, and for giving our family hope when we needed it most.”
“There are no words powerful enough to truly express what your kindness means to our family. When you chose to help Lala, you weren’t just assisting a dog in need — you were lifting the weight of fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak from an entire family that loves her more than life itself.”
“Our sweet Blue had his surgery yesterday, and seeing how much he’s already thriving today has brought tears to my eyes. This little boy has fought so hard for his chance at life, and because of so many of you, he finally has it.
I can’t begin to express how deeply grateful I am for every person who prayed, supported, donated, and cared enough to help make this surgery possible. You didn’t just help an animal—you gave a piece of your heart so Blue could have a future.
Thank you for being part of Blue’s miracle. 💙🙏🐾”
“Thank you so much for your help. You can see in our pictures that Sky is an important part of my life. We love him so much and your help means the world to us.”
“Thank you for caring, for helping families like ours, and for being a light during some of the darkest moments. No matter the outcome, I am deeply grateful for your compassion and for everything you do for animals who cannot speak for themselves.”
“I want to thank everyone that helped make this unexpected crisis a positive one with your help. We love Oliver a lot and were so worried about losing him. I am very grateful for the many people that donated to help loving members of the family like our Oliver, that make us look forward to another day of jumping and barking and just giving us love. Thank you so much for all your huge hearts and wanting to keep many dogs, healthy and alive with so many families. God bless you all!💕”
“I thank you all so much for helping me keeping my family member alive. Me and my loved ones are really thankful for helping us with this matter so we don’t lose Nipsey.”
“Thank you so much for your help. I want to make it clear that you helped us when we needed it most, and God will reward you abundantly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you.”
“He was in pain, struggling to walk, and surgery was the only option to relieve his pain and restore his quality of life. Watching him suffer has been heartbreaking. Cooper has always been there for us—now he needs help. Thank you for helping Cooper get the care he urgently needs.”
“On behalf of our entire family, thank you! We are all so very grateful that you made it possible for Taz to have a second chance!”
“Thank you for the compassion. This means the world to me. She’s my baby and I don’t wanna lose her. I’m literally crying right now; you don’t know how much this mean to us. She’s everything to us and like this we can keep her alive and give her a chance because she’s a good girl. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts from my family and I. We appreciate you so much and for the good things that you do. much blessings.”
“Thank you to everyone that generously contributes to this fund so that pets like my boy Red can get the care he needs to save his life. We couldn’t have done it without you!”
“Your kindness saves not only my cat but also me. I appreciate the time and the generosity during such a stressful time. Thank you, tremendously.”
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me save my baby Zsa zsa. She is suffering terribly in pain. Don’t know what I would do if I lost her. I was a victim of a violent crime and left disabled, Zsa zsa is my best friend. Thank you thank you thank you for saving her!!!!”
“The worst thing in the world is to see your children suffer and not be able to help them. My dog Piper is my child and to see her in pain and not be able to provide her with the medical care she needs and deserves hurts my heart. I cannot put into words what it means to have your foundation care about her well being as much as I do. It takes very special people to show the care and compassion that you have shown us and the animals in need that you help. Piper and I will be forever grateful for your help. To see her run and play again is the best gift I could ever receive. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for this selfless gift. It is not just a monetary gift to us but the gift of life for our sweet girl, thanks to the dedication and compassion from an amazing organization.”
“Thank you so much to everyone who is willing to help me in the process of helping save my baby, Bella. I just recently lost my husband of 35 years and I cannot lose my dog as well. She means the world to me and I am forever grateful and appreciative of any assistance I receive. Blessings to everyone.”
“I would like to thank the donors because Sebastian-James (Bash)means so much to me.”
“I do not have literally any friends or family. It is just me and my boy. He is my best friend in the whole world. He comes first even before myself. I have spent so much time and money navigating diagnostics and treatment for him even with my disability and I have been able to take care of him up until now , when I am faced with a horrible cancer diagnosis on his knee. If I don’t have it removed , it will grow larger and grow into bone and metastasize. I literally have nowhere else to turn to so I am asking for assistance , because I don’t Want him to go through cancer and I don’t want him to ever hurt and I want him to live as long as he can feeling good by my side. People don’t realize it, but there’s really no other reason for living except for having a dog.They are the best thing in the whole world. If you are able to help me and save my best friend thank you so so much. I have nowhere else to turn.”
“Knowing that there are people willing to help animals like Storm means more than I can put into words. Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and for giving my dog a chance.”
“Thank you for helping Eros walk and run again. He means everything to me, and he has always filled my life with so much joy, energy, and love. seeing him unable to run, jump, and be himself has been incredibly hard for me. Your kindness and generosity are truly making a difference in his life and mine, and I will always be grateful for your support and helping him heal.”